EA: Retail is Great and Day-One DLC is Awesome

[Something Amyss]

Besides ME3, I do realize that it has happened before, but I am unaware any others, please be kind enough to provide some examples.

The MVC current kerfuffle involves on-disc DLC under similar pretenses (though they've now shifted to the line that there's "no difference" between DLC and on-disc premium content). Risen 2 has been tossed around. Those are just off the top of my head.

but...but I like retail

digital distribution can be a *****

I like both, honestly. Both have their strengths. I prefer retail for games, mostly. On the other hand, I am a DD whore when it comes to books.

That cartoon is hilarious. They really capture the feel of shopping there. The funny thing is that EA seems proud that they've made the game "owning" experience very similar.

I agree it captures the experience, but I didn't find it funny at all. It was a fairly literal interpretation plus dick jokes.

 

[Epona]

It's not necessarily EA who's at fault in this regard. At least, not entirely. That's not to say that they're not dicks (they are, in excess), but the fact of the matter is that they're doing what many money-making companies do, which is to try fuck over the consumer as hard as possible without keeping them from coming back for seconds. That's simply the way of things.

Is this really the way you think business should act? Anything goes in the pursuit of greed?

I have always thought of business as being a contributing part of society, not as snake oil salesmen but if this is what people expect from business in 2012, then that is truly sad.

Is doesn't equal ought.

This IS how business is currently run and unless you can replace all businessmen around the globe with Gamer philanthropists you'll just have to deal with how it is.

This doesn't mean I like how it is. Hell I have a ton of ideas how I think things ought to be. But I guess I've just gotten too cynical to get (as we say in Denmark) "my piss boiling" over stuff like this.

If you stop acting like "anything goes in the pursuit of gold" is ok then that would count for something. I know that's how it is but I don't fuckin' promote it by saying "It's not necessarily EA who's at fault in this regard.....they're doing what many money-making companies do, which is to try fuck over the consumer as hard as possible".

Yeah, what EA chooses to do IS their fault.

 

[Mythrignoc]

"The other key thing is selling digital content on the day of launch...When we sold Mass Effect 3 back in March, we saw a 40 percent attach rate that first week to DLC at GameStop in the United States. Not only are you selling a $60 game...you're selling $20 DLC, so the sale becomes $80,"

If ever there were a doubt in ones mind that EA isn't a game developing company, and are only out to make money and nothing else, this is proof.


Sad thing is, there are companies out there who make tons of money, just like EA, but they don't have to be huge douchenozzles about it and because of this, they make -amazing- quality games. Blizzard and Bethesda are two GIANTS of the industry who, unlike EA who produces a shitty game every month, produces one awesome quality game every 3 to 5 years and probably makes the same amount of money. Even if they don't, who cares.

Game developing is a business sure, but it's also a passion, a career and an art.

 

[Something Amyss]

That explains why they made Origin as shitty as possible. They're trying to turn people away from online to buy at retail!

I love your thinking. /tinfoil hat.

Amateur. Aluminum foil is what you want to use!

This isn't even shocking anymore.

Having EA pull a dick move and be proud of said dick move happens so often these days that i'd be more surprised if they didn't pull a dick move.

Actually, good point. At least they're honest.

I love how haters such as yourself keep bringing that up. A no name website sends EA a Golden poo trophy (real classy btw), and EA brushes them off (the same response anyone would give in that situation), and you act like it all meant something.

News flash, it doesn't.

You're right, but for the wrong reasons.

It's not a no-name website. The Consumerist is a well-known and well-reputed offshoot of Consumer Reports. People should pay attention both to the Consumerist and Consumer Reports. The so-called "haters" aren't wrong for turning to such a site.

The only fly in the ointment is the methodolgy. A self-report tournament-style poll is not the best indicator of the best/worst of anything, especially if it happens around a time of major controversy. People jumped on EA because of the poll's proximity to the ME3 controversies.

But please, don't put down the Consumerist just because they're the messenger.

 

[Something Amyss]

Is this really the way you think business should act? Anything goes in the pursuit of greed?

I expect them to perform that way, but the other half is consumers fighting back. We're screwing up our part of the deal.

 

[Epona]

Is this really the way you think business should act? Anything goes in the pursuit of greed?

I expect them to perform that way, but the other half is consumers fighting back. We're screwing up our part of the deal.

Right, when corporations get too greedy people shouldn't say "it's ok, that what they are supposed to do". People should condemn them for their unethical actions.

Saying that Day One DLC is designed to raise the price of new games to $80 is honest but it should be condemned. People should see that corporations are using day one DLC to trick them into paying more for new games. It's no accident.

 

[Jodah]

I hear more personal stories about people getting their credit card info stolen via retail than online.

FREE Day-One DLC is good. I support that. Even "free for new purchases" stuff isn't bad in my eyes. It's the paid day-one shit that needs violated with a cactus.

 

[Epona]

I hear more personal stories about people getting their credit card info stolen via retail than online.

FREE Day-One DLC is good. I support that. Even "free for new purchases" stuff isn't bad in my eyes. It's the paid day-one shit that needs violated with a cactus.

Will that FREE Day One DLC always be available for download? In ten years when you want to show little Jodah some great games from your past, will you not have the complete game because the FREE Day one DLC is no longer available for download?

If it's FREE, then it should be on the disc.

 

[Delxain]

Open and honest price gouging, it's like a mugger with a smile

 

[Jodah]

I hear more personal stories about people getting their credit card info stolen via retail than online.

FREE Day-One DLC is good. I support that. Even "free for new purchases" stuff isn't bad in my eyes. It's the paid day-one shit that needs violated with a cactus.

Will that FREE Day One DLC always be available for download? In ten years when you want to show little Jodah some great games from your past, will you not have the complete game because the FREE Day one DLC is no longer available for download?

If it's FREE, then it should be on the disc.

The idea is it is something they work on between production and release. Disks take time to physically make and once they are made you can't magically put more stuff on them the day before release.

 

[Epona]

I hear more personal stories about people getting their credit card info stolen via retail than online.

FREE Day-One DLC is good. I support that. Even "free for new purchases" stuff isn't bad in my eyes. It's the paid day-one shit that needs violated with a cactus.

Will that FREE Day One DLC always be available for download? In ten years when you want to show little Jodah some great games from your past, will you not have the complete game because the FREE Day one DLC is no longer available for download?

If it's FREE, then it should be on the disc.

The idea is it is something they work on between production and release. Disks take time to physically make and once they are made you can't magically put more stuff on them the day before release.

LOL. you really believe that?

Project $10 was a program supposedly designed to "reward those who buy new" so things were pulled from games and given away as a download to those with a code, think Shale from DAO. What it really turned out to be was a way to condition people to download part of their game on Day one and soon enough the free stuff wasn't free anymore. There was a game recently (can't remember the name) where they put the FREE stuff in the more expensive Collectors Edition and everyone else had to buy it and people actually defended it because they obviously forgot where Project $10 began only a few short years ago.

 

[babinro]

LOL, This article is great at angering the gaming community.

I'll take digital over retail any day, even when sold at the same price. I simply feel digital offers more advantages and benefits over retail. To each their own though.

I also support Day 1 DLC whether it be on disk or not. People want DLC delivered in a timely manor. Why make them wait a week or month for it? What is so wrong about having a dedicated DLC team at the same time as your actual game creation team? So long as DLC doesn't feel necessary to the main experience than I'm fine with how it.

Just my take though, I don't expect to convince anyone

 

[BlueSinbad]

Well, money won't buy you Jack when you're burning in hell for being a complete corporate ASSBAG!
Seriously man, games just aren't fun for me anymore due to this constant greed, every "innovation" isn't for the fun of it anymore, it's for the cash, and I hate that.

 

[Doom972]

About retail - I'm not sure where this guy comes from, but wherever people buy legitimate copies of games, credit cards are common. He seems to have a very old fashion way of thinking. Like when modern banking came into existence and old people didn't trust the banks.

About DLC - Yes, we get it, they are selling us a $60 overpriced game (even ME3 shouldn't have been more than 50) at $80 instead. That's why people are against day-one DLC.

EA might be joining my ban list along with Activision soon enough.

 

[The_Emperor]

so yeah this is why people pirate games.

 

[babinro]

I'll take digital over retail any day, even when sold at the same price. I simply feel digital offers more advantages and benefits over retail.

How?

You only bought a licence to use the game (which can be revoked) and do not own it.
You get no extras, like books/ soundtracks and other pack-in goodies you often find in physical media.

You are allowed your opinion, but christ, I can't for the life of me figure out how you could even think that way.

The only slight advantage DD might have is having a lower price point (which is less common now). It amazes me that people think that rip-off system is a good thing.

Wake up people, it's a giant step in the wrong direction! Or do you want major publishers pretty much trampling your rights... if so, go with Digital.

The advantages of buying digital for me are:
- No disk to track. No losing the game, or having the disk fail on you (which has never happened to me but does happen to people).
- No disk to use in the PC, freeing up the slot should I want to multitask with my game.
- No need to travel to get the game. I don't eat up gas or have to walk for an hour to buy the game in a store. I don't have to wait for Amazon or another company to ship it to me.
- Organizational benefits. Steam lists some 100+ games at a click of a button for me to play. I don't have to go through boxes or shelf space.
- Automatic updates through steam or similar services are a convenience. I don't know if boxed copies auto update upon loading the game or not.

You don't have to agree with me. You could think all of the above benefits equate to no dollar value in your mind. But I feel they make the game worth more than a retail version.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

From a business point of view I have to agree with them. I would also have to agree with them that retail is awesome. I buy retail 80% of the time. There's also the fact that retail and digital prices are the same. Digital should cost less obviously. Cheaper distribution, no cost of discs, packaging etc. and you get to own the damn disc and do whatever you want with it if you go with retail.

As for day-one DLC, from a consumer point of view day-one DLC is one of the worst thing that happened to video games.